WHAT'S IN ISLAND RACER 2004?

Welcome to Island Racer
An introduction by Mac McDiarmid • [Read On-line]

54 DJ and Hizzy: a Tribute • [Read On-line]
Two of the all-time greats have been snatched from us in the past 12 months. Mac McDiarmid pays tribute to two TT giants

80 The Fisher King • [Read On-line]
The most successful sidecar driver in TT history hung up his leathers last winter. Phil Turner visited him for a decade's heady reminiscences

6 The Contenders
With searing new 1000s from Honda, Kawasaki and Yamaha, Suzuki's GSX- R1000 isn't likely to have things all its own way this year. Lars Bosson weighs up the combatants

18 What Makes a Winning Bike?
Some very special bikes have failed to cut it over the Mountain Circuit. Nick Jefferies assesses just what it takes to make a machine fit for the TT challenge

26 TT Tackle: the Top Twenty
Plenty of bikes have been TT winners, but just what is the all-time top TT bike? Stephen Quirk nominates a score of the best since 1907

38 The Future: Evolve or Die?
The past winter has seen an orgy of soul-searching and analysis about the future of the TT. Island Racer presents the full story from every point of view
38 The Official TT Review
Forget those rumours, this is the TT review in detail, no salient facts left out

44 Interview with the Minister
David Cretney is the IOM Minister responsible for the TT.

46 View from the Island
Manx journalist and TT fan John Watterson offers his perspective on the future of the races

48 View from the Trade
The past decade has seen a dramatic reduction in bike industry involvement in the TT, both on the track and off. Can the official review halt the slide?

52 Rider Reactions
No six laps races? No early morning practice? Riders give their views on the changes

54 DJ and Hizzy: a Tribute • [Read On-line]
Two of the all-time greats have been snatched from us in the past 12 months. Mac McDiarmid pays tribute to two TT giants

60 History of the Island's Circuits
The Mountain Course might be the oldest in world racing, but it took almost two decades before it achieved anything like its present form. Mac McDiarmid traces its origins

66 The Kiwis
With three wins last year, New Zealand confirmed its status as one the TT's most productive nurseries. Tom Laxey looks back on 94 years of Kiwi endeavour

74 It Happened Last Year
2003 will forever be remembered for the loss of big DJ, but there were some high points, too. Stephen Quirk relives those emotional two weeks

80 The Fisher King • [Read On-line]
The most successful sidecar driver in TT history hung up his leathers last winter. Phil Turner visited him for a decade's heady reminiscences

88 My First TT
The first TT is always the most special, not to mentiond is organised, chaotic, or plain debauched. Mac McDiarmid asks a few TT notables about theirs

96 Island Scenes
Images of Man. Maybe you forgot your camera last year. Luckily, we remembered ours

100 Prize Money History
‘If you pay peanuts, don't be surprised if you get monkeys…' Mac McDiarmid discovers there must have been some pretty rapid primates in the TT's earlier years

104 TT Trails
If you want to see the best TT action, you'd better be prepared to eat a little dirt. Stephen Quirk gives the Island Racer guide to the best in off-road spectating

107 TT Course Map
The Mountain Circuit - in technicolour and glorious 2D
• [Download] - 293kb JPG Image

108 Pirelli – the TT Tyre
Last year, 54 out of 60 top ten places went to riders using Pirelli tyres.
Just what is it that makes the Italian rubber so damn good around the
TT course?

112 10, 25, 50, 75 and 100 Years Ago
Tom Laxey casts a rheumy eye back on the high points of a 100 years of racing over the Mountain

120 Magic Memory
Just for the hell of it, Joey and Phillip doing what they did best

122 TT What's On
Two weeks of every sort of motorcycle event and gathering devised by man (OK, except ice and desert racing): the full list

128 TT Encyclopedia
Every nugget of race information the TT prospector could possibly need, in one convenient (if rather large) package

146 The 38th Milestone
Last, but definitely not least, including a worthy way you can pay tribute to Big Dave

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